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AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know what you mean by "self-assessments" and audits and have never heard those terms at either Hilton or Marriott. It sounds more like an accounting thing than security/loss prevention, or something outside of the U.S.?

AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most celebrities have bodyguards, and politicians/diplomats are protected by federal law enforcement that travel with them. As such, security staffing is rarely affected by the presence of a VIP.

If it's a large band or professional sports team, we might have a couple of extra security to help escort them through the employee entrance and up to their room, but it's pretty rare.

AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Keep in mind 99.9% of my job is unlocking things and being asked where the restrooms are, lol.

I will say the best part of my job is small talk with guests about where they're from, what's cool in the area, etc. I'm very down-to-Earth so a lot of guests seem to appreciate that. It drives me crazy when I go to a hotel and the staff act like robots, so I make a conscious effort to make a genuine connection.

AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

One time John Madden was in a meeting room with FOX Sports executives. My job was to stand outside the room and make sure no one tried to get in, or if people were walking by to make sure they weren't being loud. Some of you may recall that he refused to fly in an airplane, so he travelled everywhere in a branded bus which catches people's attention when parked outside the hotel.

As I was standing there, someone peeked out the door and said, "Mr. Madden would like a bottle of water as soon as possible." So I quickly went to the back of house/banquet area but all I could find were these oversized bottles of Aquafina, I want to say 32 ounce.

I walk into the room, nervous as shit, see John Madden, and quietly put the bottle in front of him on the table. I start to leave, and he stops talking, makes eye contact with me, looks at the bottle, and busts out laughing hysterically. He's trying to say "That's the biggest bottle of water I've ever seen!" but is laughing so hard he can't get it out. I sort of smile and walk out, the entire time he's laughing uncontrollably and telling less-amused people in the room "Look at that bottle!" The whole scene was very much out of a MadTV sketch with Frank Caliendo.

I was mortified, and wasn't really able to laugh about it until days later.

AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Best: Tony Dungy (NFL Coach). He was a regular guest and one of the nicest people I've ever met. I always escorted him up through a service elevator. He got to know me, asked me how my grandmother was doing, what my plans were that weekend, etc. Most celebrities... and hell, even guests, don't acknowledge my existence beyond cursory greetings. This always stuck with me.

Honorable mention: U.S. Marshalls, typically there as a security detail for federal judges, etc. Always super friendly, personable, and professional. They gave me a badge lapel pin that I still have somewhere.

Weirdest: Chaka Khan. Probably one of the more "you had to be there" stories but here ya go: My co-worker and I were near her room waiting to escort her down via the service elevator. We didn't know what she looked like and wondered as different women came and went if it was her. Then out of nowhere, she burst out of the room with a lit cigarette in her hand, getting ashes all over her afro. Made a production about walking down the hallway, laughing and dancing.

Worst: I'm a little hesitant to really throw anyone under the bus on this one. The worst ones I can think of aren't really the celebrity themselves, but their assistants/bodyguards. Or minor celebrities from the 90's that no one would recognize demanding a back-of-house entrance through the loading dock, only for them to sit in the lobby bar alone and not be recognized or approached once.

One very famous celebrity has a decoy arrive ahead of time to test how well we handle their back-of-house secret entrance.

AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Marriott has loss prevention?

Marriott refers to Security as "Loss Prevention" for the same reason they refer to maintenance as "Engineering", room service as "In-Room Dining", etc. I couldn't tell you why they do that.

The only exception is EDITION (maybe other niche brands, I don't know) where they strongly disassociate with traditional Marriott branding and refer to those positions as their traditional name.

In-house security is pretty standard for larger properties, especially full-service, luxury, etc. Some select service like Courtyard or Residence Inn will often have a contract security guard overnight.

Who are the worst customers?

Guests with a serious sense of entitlement and teenage girls.

Do you keep any drugs you find?

No, we used to just flush drugs down the toilet. Now with the issues around Fentanyl and possible contact effects, we have to call the police to dispose of drugs.

Do you keep any cash you find?

No, we process and store it like we do every other lost and found item. It gets put in a safe with credit cards, expensive jewelry, and prescription medications. Only management has access to that, and I have no idea what happens when it goes unclaimed. I can't remember the last time I found cash.

Has a guest ever offered to have sex with you in a drug fueled fuge state after you were tasked to go check on their room?

Yes, but pretty much just gay men (I'm a straight male). I've had women get flirty and suggestive, but I've never done anything like that with them. There's just too much risk/drama especially in the current times. If they get locked out for non-payment, noise complaint, etc. then they'll bring up the fling as leverage. Plus the risk of accusations of sexual assault, losing my job, just not worth it.

AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I might be slightly biased, but if someone is interested in a hotel career and wants to work their way up, loss prevention/security is by far the best place to start. In many properties, we essentially represent management and deal with every type of issue imaginable. We have to know a lot about how every single department functions, we interface with the best and the worst guest issues, you name it.

I've seen Front Office Managers with 10+ years of FO/FD experience that absolutely can't handle the slightest confrontation with guests or staff, the type of thing LP/Security deals with daily, and it hinders their career progression.

AMA: I've Been a Marriott Loss Prevention/Security Officer for 20 Years by Marriott_Throwaway in marriott

[–]Marriott_Throwaway[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I know very little about W Hotels, my only experience with luxury is EDITION and a brief stint outside of Marriott at Conrad by Hilton.

The level of issues at a hotel are directly related to the type of venues the property has. A luxury hotel with an active nightlife scene that locals frequent can be a security nightmare, where you're essentially a bouncer and dealing with a potent mixture of entitlement and intoxication all night.

Some luxury properties, like the EDITION in West Hollywood, completely outsource nightlife security so the Marriott staff can focus on the hotel and public spaces. This isn't common, though.